The Inbox: Port O'Brien, The Matches, and Jack Kerouac?

Each week our good friends over at The Owl Mag share all the goodies they get in their inbox (think free MP3s, new videos and the general low-down on Bay Area artists) in an effort to spread the local music gospel. Now you're about to get it here with our new weekly feature, The Inbox. Here's what we've got this week:

Port O'Brien:

Personal tragedy struck this indie Americana/freak-folk band from Oakland midway through recording their third album Threadbare (drops 10/6). On "My Will is Good" a rolling drumbeat, eerie echos and whispers, and stirring strings set the stage for a haunting and introspective sound.

The Matches:

An outcry from passionate fans who grew up around East Bay pop-punk darlings The Matches, prompted the band to release a farewell album: the Matches album 4, unreleased; graphics? title? or not needed?. Comprised of unreleased songs and demos it's a hard pill to swallow knowing this is the last you'll hear from the group. You can stream the album for free here: The Matches. But don't be surprised if your eyes get watery.

Jack Kerouac:

Jay Farrar of Son Volt and Benjamin Gibbard of Death Cab for Cutie unlocked a mutual appreciation for Kerouac that fueled the duo to compose and perform 12 original songs for One Fast Move or I’m Gone: Kerouac’s Big Sur (drops 10/20). The lyrics are based on prose from the 1962 novel Big Sur. A feature length documentary will be released at the same time and features appearances from familiar locals Tom Waits and Lawrence Ferlinghetti, among others.